Two interesting developments in the research and treatment of schizophrenia this week: another genetically engineered mouse model of schizophrenia, described in the February 16th issue of Neuron, could help researchers learn more about the role that the neurotransmitter dopamine plays in the development of the disease. Exactly what causes schizophrenia is unknown, but abnormally high levels of dopamine have been attributed as one possibility. Animal models like this one, while having limited application to the human brain, can still help researchers discover more about the biological factors that may contribute to causing the disease.

And researchers at the Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science are using facial recognition software to teach people with schizophrenia how to better interpret facial expressions. The software was originally developed to scan the faces of travellers for customs officials. Further research needs to be done; however, the results so far suggest that the program may be helpful with retraining.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 17 Feb 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.